For 2014, I vow to stop blogging, facebooking, twittering, goodreadsing, pintresting, and whatnoting on a daily basis.
Why?
So I can write the novels I want to write. And see them published.
Social media is a major time such, even platform-building focuses social media endeavors. And, quite honestly, I don't see the merit in taking time away from actual writing to build a platform for writing that isn't published yet.
I've done it - this blog and facebook and twitter and even pintrest in the name of platform building - and I've done it well. Only, after all the dust settles, you have to decide what you really want to do with your writing - write a blog, twit, facebook, pin and gain followers?
Or write a novel?
For me, I want to write my next novel. And to do so, I can't sit at my computer and write unless its for that exact purpose.
I'm even going as far as cancelling my internet. Save money AND keep distractions to a minimum.
How's that for preservence and determination!
;)
So, adieu for now, my dear friends. I'm diving in with both arms open wide.
Well, it's Monday and I felt like doing a little show and share of some of my
favorite PINS from over the weekend.(Pintrest is evil, by the way. You
can spend way too much time looking at all the pretty pictures and,
before you know it, hours have passed and it feels like you were only on
there for 5 minutes...)
Kind of the like the hotel in
Las Vegas that Thalia found herself trapped in with Nico... Can you
guess which book I'm reading to my kids? ;)
Five Pin Monday...
Well, there you have it. I think for a Monday, a little show and share is fun. Maybe I'll do it every Monday... who knows? ;)
Prompt
In 250 words or less and inspired by the photo above, write something. Anything. The beginning of a story. The middle. A scene. Some dialogue. Anything!
Challenge
If you want something extra to go on, add in some mystery. Culinary mystery.
Share!
Please share in the comments section below. Go!
I love this time of year. The leaves are turning a new shade, falling to the ground, making crunchy steps along the way.
The view outside is beautiful. Only if there wasn't a blank screen staring back at me every time I sit down to write. That's the problem with starting a new project. So long had I spent editing my last novel that I had grown comfortable with the fact that I HAD a whole novel to sit back on.
It was done. I just had to tidy up a bit!
But this. This blank pageness. It's daunting to say the least.
So I research. Set out to find some material to make word love with, hoping we can produce some sort of baby that will find it's way into every breathing moment of my life, begging and urging me to write until, alas, the novel is complete.
That's what happened with Waiting for Paint to Dry. I HAD to write it. The damn book wouldn't NOT let me not write it.
The book I'm working on now is one that demands to be written too, only, I first have to do the research needed to make the story grow on it's own.
And the research so far is creeping me out.
Seriously. I've got the heebie geebies and I'd rather fold laundry and scrub toilets than read into this anymore. And I've tried. I've written the first'ish chapter and done some research then retreated to mundane chores that halt all progress hoping it would also halt the thoughts starting in my head.
But it didn't. I needed to know more. And more. More research yesterday. More today. Even more creeped out now!
But I write Women's Fiction, you say. What is creepy about Women's Fiction? Isn't all about the happily ever after and all that sweet lovin' jazz?
Yes. But it's not always so cut and dry, this love and life, is it?
Nor is it bereft of the supernatural.
No. Not vampires. Not witches. No zombies...although I'm a huge Walking Dead fan and I'd follow Daryl and Carol anywhere (Rick is an idiot).
Supernatural to me is quite natural. Our souls. Our spirits. They reside in all of us and should have a place in our stories just as we are in theirs. When you read Waiting for Paint to Dry, there's a hint of spiritual direction, and not the kind you think. Can't wait for you to read it. Hear what you think of the added element ;)
But I digress.
This book I'm working on and doing the research on isn't the sequel to Waiting for Paint to Dry. That book doesn't need much research, hence I already have the first 3 chapters written and notes on more to come. But I just don't feel a heart at that story yet. Hence I stopped writing it to pick up on this new one. And when I don't feel it for this one I pick up my children's book writing, and then back to the sequel and so on and so forth.
One of these days, one of these stories is about to take off.
But I don't let the blank page keep me from writing. Instead of lamenting about not knowing what to write about on that particular day for that particular story, I just turn to the next one and write there. Or the next. THere's always something to write. Either the sequel, the next novel, some children's poetry, or even this blog.
The key to writing is to WRITE EVERYDAY. No one said WHAT to write. Just write.
I woke up to the sound of nothing. Not even a hint of anticipation. It's as though the cloud of heightened energy that collects around me - in my mind - right before starting a new project just vanished, without a trace.
No new plot ideas. No characters babbling. Nothing. Just silence.
I wonder if they're just sleeping.
NaNoWriMo starts in just a few days - National Novel Writing Month. I have participated in the past just for fun, always in the middle of a work in progress to actually use the time for what it's intended for: to start a novel and write, during the month of November, 50K words. No editing. No looking back. Just write.
This year I'm ready to hit the 50K summit. I've got the plot set up in my mind (and in my notes). And I've got momentum plenty as this novel is the sequel to the novel I just finished editing, Waiting for Paint to Dry.
The characters are revved up and excited to finish what they've started.
I just hope they wake up in time.
T-5 days to go. 30 days to write 50K words. Oh, and throw in a holiday or two during that time, and it's not as much time as you think. I've spent the past NaNoWriMo's lamenting over the timing of National Novel Writing Month - WHY NOVEMBER?!??! - but this year I'm determined to put aside my whining and just write.
Who knows? Maybe I'll write 50,000 words and actually win. Maybe I'll write only 30,000 words. Maybe I'll find I don't like where my plot is going and just write a bunch of crap to be scrapped come December 1st. Who knows...
But the point of writing is to just write. Can't be a writer unless you write! So, write I will.
Just wondering where my characters have run off to without me. Don't hear them in my head today....
Fine. Go ahead. Sleep. Get your rest. Enjoy. I'll be working your tired asses off all next month, so you'll need the energy. Get it now while you can...
Yep.
Writers don't just talk to their characters or hear voices, they even write blog posts of threats to them.
Ever wonder how that novel idea in your head will ever make it to those illustrious bookshelves of your bookworm heaven? B&N bookstores, Amazon bestseller list, the library bookshelves. Whatever your idea of where all the good books live, have you ever wondered how on Earth YOU are ever going to get YOUR book there?
Aspiring authors and published authors alike have, at least once at the beginning of their careers, have wondered, hoped, dreamed. I do it too. All day long sometimes. But dreaming and hoping and praying only gets you so far, no matter what it is that you wish to do.
Write a novel. Write a self-help book. Write a children's book series. Whatever your goal, it's not just to get the words on paper. It's to get them published and up onto that shelf of your dreams.
But the main ingredient that some writers forget that will make their dream come true is something that some writers don't have.
The guts to do it.
Fear. Doubt. Self condemnation. Call it what you will, but it holds us all back at one point or another. I see it all the time, in people who have high hopes but not a spine to do anything about it with.
"But this... But that..." So many excuses they could write a book on how to keep yourself locked in a perpetual state of motionlessness.
NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - starts November 1st. NEXT WEEK!!! It's a great time for all those held back by their fear to JUMP IN with both feet and give their guts a real work out. Forget the fear of failure. Forget the doubting monster keeping you locked up in your writing closet. All you have to do to participate is WRITE!
Just write.
No rules. No editing. No grammar gurus lurking in the shadows.
Just write.
NaNoWriMo is all about getting your words onto the page. Period. And the more the merrier. 50K words in a month is the ultimate goal BUT you don't have to hit the highest peak to summit your own fear of starting something great.
10K words in a month. Even 2k words. It'll be more than you have done now, no? Do you have a novel in you? Do you want to write it? Are your characters banging on the door of your imagination, begging to get out?
Then do it! Write till you heart's content. Everyday, make it a task on your To-Do List and do it.
IMO - in my opinion - all you have to do is write and you'll make it. You'll start that writing project you've always dreamt about. And you know what? By writing EVERYDAY, even just 10 minutes a day, you'll find strength, confidence, determination.
By the end of November, you'll have written the beginning of your novel and you won't be able to stop. The story, the characters, they won't let you stop. And neither will your new self - your writer self - let you stop.
So write.
Just write.
And look me up at NaNoWriMo. If ever you need someone to get out and push because you hit a roadblock or your engine won't start that day, I'll push for you! I'll help you combat your writer demons! I've worked long and hard to keep mine locked up tight, so I know how to do it, IMO.
In honor of NaNoWriMo, which begins next week, I wanted to take a few lines to try to drive up the excitement that's igniting the air in the writing world. Novel writing world, that is. NaNoWriMo, for those who are new to it, is National Novel Writing Month. A whole month dedicated to getting those words of your story onto the page, screen, notepad...anywhere that gets them out of your head and into written form. And it starts November 1st, NEXT WEEK!!! :))) The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. You can start a new novel. Continue writing your WIP. Or just start something and see where it takes you, so long as you write 50,000 words by month's end. How do you write 50,000 words in one month? Simple. You just write! And write. And write! Don't stop for edits. Just keep writing! At least that's the way most people do it. The whole point is that all first drafts suck. They do, no matter who you are or how great a writer you can be. Even the best of the best admit that their first drafts suck. And who cares if it sucks! It's a first draft! You're not going to publish your first draft, traditional route or self. You'll edit and rewrite and edit and rewrite until it's polished and shined to be worthy of putting your name on the front cover... Unless, of course, you're the author of the unreadable 50 shades of grey and you have no shame... but I digress...
"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter."
~ James Michener
I think this is a great quote to remember and keep in mind as you write and attempt to summit the 50K words in a month goal. Just write. Keep up the momentum. Don't turn back until you hit your daily goal, whatever you set it to be.
For the past NaNoWriMo's that I've done, I've been working on and through Waiting for Paint to Dry. This year NaNoWriMo just happens to coincide with my starting a new project, so it's kismet, perfect timing, and all that jazz! I'm a mix between a "seater" and a "panster" so I've got some notes and a rough outline done'ish for Caught By The Sun, the second in the Bell Sisters Series.
I'm so excited to get started and can't wait to meet some new writer buddies to enjoy the ride with.Are you coming too?!
Just remember... even if you only write 5,000 words or 10,000 words come November 30th, it's more than most people ever write!
The whole point of NaNoWriMo is this: just write :)
So sign up for NaNoWriMo today and find writer buddies to enjoy the ride with!
There's a war waging in my head. Characters I've dreamt up are battling it out for who gets to go first.
Sequel novel or the new idea novel?
I've got others in the wings, but it's these two that are more vocal. Maybe it's because last NaNoWriMo I started the sequel to Waiting for Paint to Dry, just to test the waters to see if it would be a viable idea.
And it was.
So now those characters are anxious to have their story told. But I've been busy researching a new idea for some time and the story builds in my mind every day, so it's a toss up which one I should do, as both are exciting endeavors. Although in total opposite ways.
So I asked a focus group - aka, my children - their opinion and they are split as well. The Hubby doesn't read women's fiction so he doesn't care either way. He'll vote when a story ends in tragedy only.
So I think I'll leave it up to NaNoWriMo again. I'll start both projects and see which one takes off on it's own. Because it's not really me who writes the story - it's the characters.
I feel I know who is going to win - the sequel novel characters - because they have momentum built not only from last year's NaNoWriMo adventure, but also since they were just being written about in Waiting for Paint to Dry. I've got the manuscript out in query mode, hoping for a bite, so they are active in my mind in many more ways than who gets to go first.
My new novel idea has it's own momentum, but I think it's okay to simmer a while longer. I've got some more research to do for that one and I don't want to rush it. The sequel doesn't need much research. It just needs to take off.
Hmm...
It seems I've made up my mind at long last ;) Only took a few weeks after finishing up my first novel Waiting for Paint to Dry.
Cool. Can't wait to get started on the sequel now! Wow, the excitement that comes from a just a second ago decision... The sequel continues the Bell sisters' saga. Title? Caught by the Sun. My daughter came up with that one when she was three. Cutest moment driving in the car ever.
"Mommy? You know what would be a good title? Caught by the Sun. Because look! We're caught by the sun!" I don't remember how the conversation started, but I'm glad she and I were talking. Neither of us knew what that title would end up being for, but ever since she said it, I've wanted to use it.
And so I am.
Caught by the Sun it is. Can't wait to get started!
I'm excited to introduce the BB Writing Retreat series here at my B&B. Yes, this is just a blog. No, you can't physically stay at the BB B&B. Yet... BUT... you CAN attend a BB Writing Retreat all the same ;) Here's how it works: Writing retreats are all about finding a cozy, quiet space to write; getting together with other writers for comradery and an exchange of ideas; and also a place to meet guest authors and listen as they talk about all they love and hate of the craft of writing. Then take all that new, wonderful information and momentum and start. Write that story, poem, novel that's been swimming inside of you, just waiting to get out. A writing retreat is all about YOU getting some writing done after all ;) All are welcome here at the BB B&B Writing Retreat. Aspiring writers. Closet writers. Published authors. Anyone who loves the craft of writing or is just getting acquainted with what that means. And loves to write. And writes ;) So, pull up a seat, help yourself to the tea and treats, and settle in for a wonderful meet and greet of some fine guest authors here on the BB B&B blog. Of course when the BB B&B is up and running (as in brick and mortar) these retreats will be in person, on the premise, as well as online. But I think, instead of waiting for that mortar to dry, let's start getting together now and write today. That novel isn't going to write itself after all. ;)
I love writing. I love the way words can work together to make ordinary everyday things sparkle, spark, ignite. How you can say something without being exact. Or being so exact it's too much to read. And that's when feeling, emotion starts to pour from our words.
Here are some examples of my favorite writing from my novel Waiting for Paint to Dry. Everyone's writing is different. We all have our own voice. And I love that. I love my writing voice.
If you haven't found your voice yet, start writing. No rules. No critics. No barriers. Just write from the heat of the moment, let it all pour out. I found my voice shortly after reading Stephen King's "On Writing" in which he states, and I'm paraphrasing here, but it's perfect:
"This isn't Church. This is writing....Tell the truth."
Oh, and share. I love to share my writing, hence I do some freelance, this blog other blogs, song writing, poems and my novel. My baby. And I'm making it a priority this year to go big with my creativity, my voice, so hopefully soon I'll be done with this one and onto the next! ;)
In no particular order (no spoiler alert needed), here are some swatches from Waiting for Paint to Dry... ....
As the evening sun sinks behind the ocean, warm indoor lights illuminate the room and slow songs echo in from outside. Yet, party on everyone does. I try to excuse myself a handful of times to get some breathing room, grab a plate of food or two to go with my wine. Only El won’t let me out of her sight. She strong arms me, however elegantly, to meet more and more people. Soon, the introductions start to mount on the side of excessive and I start to feel like an expensive piece of jewelry she just has to show off to everyone she knows.
....
I was careful to not get any paint on the floor thanks to the left behind paint cloth, but as for myself, I’m decorated head to toe in all hues of turquoise and beige. ....
The sound of the door slamming behind me doesn’t quite hit the right note, the right amount of force, loudness, deafening roar I need to hear. I want to crash. To out run this insanity. I almost trip on the leg of a pair of jeans dangling from my arms. I take two seconds to repack, re-stuff, and then I’m off. Down the steps. Toward the beach.
Anyone else just now rising out of the ashes of this past holiday's chaotic-fun? All I have to say is, geeze laweeze (or however you spell it).... Every year I vow to not allow the holidays to derail me from my on going routine and goals. Yet, every year seems to still get away from me.
Now, I'm not altogether a total ba humbug. I'm not. (My husband says I am, but really, I'm not. Honest!) I do love all the added bliss, yummy food, good times, and great company. It's just, well, too much. And too long. Especially for the procrastinators....
Ah...there it is. Yes. I'm a fantastic procrastinator. Wait until the last minute and there's no way to keep your sanity or happiness about any changes in the regularly scheduled program. Hence, next year as part of my list of New Year Resolutions, I'm only going to do holiday planning, prep, and run around between the day after Thanksgiving and December 1st. If it's not done by December, it's not that important. That way I have a whole month of free days to, oh, cook some cookies for fun. Or put together a gingerbread house for fun. All decoration and letters and shopping will be done and out of the way.
My goal: to have fun without going nuts and getting stressed...
Which brings me to 'getting back into the swing of things'. The one major part of my everyday blissful life that gets put on the back burner during the holidays is my writing. Between work and kids and the house and everything else, too many to list, where does taking time for yourself come in? No where is what I've found. By the time you do find a moments rest, all you have energy for IS rest. And when you wake up, you feel like crap because you haven't done a darn thing for yourself in over a month. Yes, you've showered. Yes, you've brushed your teeth. However, those things aren't necessarily for you. You do have to venture into the outside world without making everyone around you run screaming from the horror.
What you haven't done is take time for you. To do what you want, like, need to do. Things that not only SAY you, but leave you feeling like, yes, I DO live inside my own skin! I DO have control over my life and what happens to me and how I feel about me and everything around me. For some people that might be any number of things. For me, that's writing.
Even writing this now, I feel stiff. Like the words aren't flowing like they normally do when I give myself the opportunity to write every day. This post so far, IMO, sucks. I just don't see my voice here at all. Yet. But give it time, I always say (well, actually, that was the first time I've said it, but hey. Gotta start somewhere...) So, give it time. Eventually you will see yourself again. Feel yourself again. Be yourself again.
And I feel it coming back now, like a slow rising sun. It is inevitable. It will come back. It just takes a break for the night. That break from your writing, whether self or else induced, is only temporary. The only way to get back to writing is easy. We all know it. Say it with me now: just write! You write more if you write. It's the most simple solution, some people can miss it.
There will always be that group of emerging writers who want to become brilliant writers, yet are still asking how to do it. How do I write better? How do I do it? Answer? Write! Not many things in life are so nicely packaged into one wonderful word, so take it and run blissfully into the sunset with it. If you want to write, as I really want to get back to my writing, the answer is simple (even though I've spent two paragraphs explaining it...) Write. Just write. Sit down. Write. Done ;)
And don't beat yourself up over needing to stretch a bit when you are getting back into the swing of writing after a break. Don't touch your most important work, however, until you're really back back. Start slow, just as with any exercise routine. Stretch, walk, jog a bit. Then run. You don't want to make a disaster of what you had done before your break. Write a blog post. Scribble in your journal. Do it everyday. Everyday without excuse. 200 words minimum. Sounds like a tiny bit, but this is only a stretching exercise. After about a week, or less, you'll be back in the swing of things. And in no time, back to writing 2500 words, 5000 words a day.
If you're doing NaNoWriMo this year, how's it going? So far, so good here. This graphic above will track my progress for the National Novel Writing Month. 30 days, 50K words.
Will I make it...?
Who knows, probably at the very last second, but it's been fun so far. I hadn't even thought to start writing this novel for another couple months, so it's nice to get an early start. And, honestly, I'm liking where it's going.
Check out my synopsis and chapter 1. I'm writing this one with no written direction. No outline. Just what I've envisioned 'movie style' in my mind. Seems to be how I work best. Outlines for me are kind of constrictive. I've got my protagonist and she's got her problems. Now let's see if she can find her way to happiness.
What if?.... The question gets me in the mood every time.
To write.
Have you ever had this happen to you? You're walking down the street or sitting in a crowded room, watching what's going on, involved in something or other. Just minding your own business. When, all of a sudden, you see or hear something and wonder for a split second...what if?
What if...? You ask yourself. And, in a split second, you mind swirls around this intriguing idea until - BAM! - you've thought of a story idea for a novel. Or that article you need to write. Poem. Whatever your medium.
If that's ever happened to you, or you've been waiting for inspiration, go out and search for it. Or just let it happen. For my first book - Waiting for Paint to Dry - I was in the airport, trying to hurry through security, and all of a sudden I had to ask myself...what if? What if I were a character in a novel and this very thing that is happening to me in real life happened to her? What would her story be? How would she react? What would have happened right before this? After? What if...? And that's how it happened :)
For my next book - Caught by the Sun - even though it's the sequel to Waiting for Paint to Dry, the idea that sparked the story for the second book came from a what if moment in my own life. I was stacking firewood with my husband, got a piece of wood in my eye, he had to get close to help get it out...once out, there were sparks - oh la la ;) - and I thought, hmmm...what if?... and then - BAM! - my next novel idea was born!
Next month is November and I've decided to do NaNoMo - National Novel Writing Month - this year! Yes, I'm still editing novel #1, but I've learned a VERY important lesson in doing so. Don't take too long writing the first draft because editing it to the point of it being perfect to send out to agents takes sooooo long. Writing a novel in a month sounds like the best plan to me. My goal is going to be 50K words. I've never done it before, but I'm excited!
And once November is over, I'm going to put novel #2 aside, and finish my edits for novel #1. When I'm done with that, I'll read through my atrocious first draft that I wrote during NaNoMo and go from there. All first drafts suck. Why not churn it out in a quick, fun way? If you've never NaNoMo'ed before, check it out. We can be writer buddies ;)
Oh, and check out the synopsis I wrote for Caught by the Sun. I'm super proud of it and super exited to get started!
I've been given a gift - two hours of free, to myself writing time. Oh, the pages I will edit, the query letter I will perfect! Two hours where no child, no husband, no phone call, no electrical outage will keep me from my task....
Two hours...
And two dogs...
Two dogs that beg my attention - and snacks - every two minutes.
Two dogs with two sad eyes each that plead sorrowfully to go out on a walk, to have the ball tossed to them, to be allowed to sit on my lap and be pet.
Two dogs that play on my bleeding heart to waste my two hours of solitary writing time to make them the happiest two dogs in the world...
